absence makes the heart grow fonder
by Cahaya Sidur
Summary: "Still waiting on that wedding invitation, princess."
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants, 2015.

* * *

"Hi Jay!" Evie's exuberant voice reaches him, and he turns with a knowing smile, sweeping her up into a tight hug.

"Evie." He kisses her nose, laughing as she shoots him a look. "What's up?"

Evie beams at him as she waves a letter in the air. "I got invited to Auradon Prep!"

"Wait, what?" Jay blinks, confused. How in Hades had Evie managed to secure an invitation to the most prestigious school in Auradon? The Isle of the Lost was a permanent prison, as anyone knew. And yet, as Jay takes the offered envelope and scans the paper inside, he sees Evie's name and the words 'Auradon Prep'.

"Apparently, the new king wants to get to know us, so he's inviting a few of us to Auradon!"

Jay frowns at Evie's enthusiasm. He knows about Evie's obsession with princes, imposed onto her by her mother from a young age. But he had never expected Evie to wish to leave him so badly. It stings a little, to be honest, but the feeling is swept away when Evie continues in that breathless voice of hers.

"So once we pack, we'll be taken to Auradon in a couple of hours!" Evie beams up at him. "And then we'll get our happy ever after, and maybe even get to see a castle together!"

And then Jay stops, feeling something cold well up in him. "Evie, how long have you had the invitation?"

"Since yesterday." Evie sighs. "I wanted to look for you, but mother wouldn't let me out the house."

Jay gently grips Evie's hands, letting her focus on him. "Eves, I didn't get an invitation."

Evie's smile immediately drops from her face as her eyes widen. "What?"

"I didn't get an invitation." Jay repeats quietly, handing her back the piece of paper.

Evie's confusion is evident in her expression. "Have you been home yet? Maybe they just got the wrong address. Or maybe your dad's just hiding it. We should go back to the shop. Forget about packing. I can make something in Auradon. I hear their curtains are of the finest material-"

"Evie." Jay gently cuts into her ramble as she nervously grips his arms. "I'm sure. I didn't get one. But at least you'll-"

This time, he's the one being cut off. "Then I'll decline my invitation. I'll stay here, with you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Jay chides. "Evie, you've been talking about castles and horses and handsome princes ever since you could talk." He lets out a low chuckle. "Auradon is your chance to finally get all those things."

"I'm not going without you." Evie says stubbornly. Her eyes light up with another idea. "Maybe we can forge an invitation for you!"

"Eves, I'm pretty sure they've got a way to check the invitation and they should have a list they can check."

Evie's eyes are tearing up now, and Jay's heart lurches at the sight.

"Hey, princess. Don't cry." He gently wipes away a tear that's started making its way down her porcelain cheek. "You'll get your happy ever after, and your handsome princes and castles and mirrors."

"You're my happy ever after." Evie whispers.

"Look at me, Eves. I'm a thief. What kind of life can I give you?" Jay murmurs. "Auradon is everything you've ever wanted. Everything you've ever deserved." He gently lets go. "Go and find your prince."

"Jay..." Evie shakes her head adamantly. "I'm not going."

"Sure you are." Jay tries for a smile. "If you're not there, I'll hunt you down and carry you over myself. Just..." His smile is shakier now. "Just invite me to the wedding?"

Evie swallows again the onslaught of tears, but before she can say anything, Jay disappears into the alley, clambering over the wall and leaving Evie standing there, one hand pressed over her mouth as the other unknowingly crushes the invitation in her grip.

"I'll go, Jay." Evie whispers into the silence. "But only so I can get you there as well."

* * *

"Jay."

Jay barely glances up. "Mal."

"I heard you broke my best friend's heart."

Jay sighs. "She deserves better than the Isle. You of all people know that."

"I do." Mal sits next to him, glaring at any onlookers. "That's the only reason why I'm not looking for a way to curse you for all eternity."

"So why are you here?" Jay asks, disinterested as he goes through the plethora of things he had stolen in his grief.

"Just here to tell you that the limo left for Auradon." Mal shrugs. "And to ask whether you'd like to go and harass people around here to hide having to talk about our feelings."

Jay chuckles humourlessly and nods, rounding up his collection of items. "Let me drop these things off at my dad's."

"Meet at Ursula's Fish And Chips?" Mal asks, standing up and dusting herself off. "If we're going to annoy people, might as well be Shrimpy over there."

Jay shrugs. He didn't mind having to face off against Harry Hook. "Fine by me."

* * *

"Jay! Mal!" Both of the VKs suddenly found themselves being hugged by a pair of strong arms. The sickly stench of cologne clued them in on who it was.

"Gil?" Jay scowls.

"Let go, or I'll have you for dinner." Mal threatens. Gil immediately lets go, but his smile is still plastered all over his face.

"I'm so glad you guys are still here! Uma and Harry both left a couple of hours ago to Auradon, and I've been looking for friends ever since."

"We're not friends." Mal says automatically. Then her brain processes his words and her eyes widen in outrage. "Shrimpy and Hook got to go to Auradon?!"

Jay growls in frustration at the thought of Hook with Evie, all of them going to the golden land of opportunity while everyone else was stuck rotting on the Isle.

"Just who chose the people?" Mal demands. "How the hell did they choose them?"

"I think it was Prince Ben." Gil says, happily oblivious to her anger. "Four of us were chosen at random." He shrugs. "I guess that they thought Maleficent, Jafar and Gaston were too dangerous or something."

Pride lurks in Mal's eyes as she nonchalantly twirls her hair. "Huh. Well, I guess that's true."

"Gaston?" Jay asks sceptically.

"Well, he did shoot King Beast." Gil pipes up enthusiastically.

"That may be his only redeeming quality." Mal rolls her eyes. "If he has one." She then nods at the shop. "How'd Ursula take it?"

"I don't think she's figured it out yet." Gil mentions mildly. "I mean, it's not Uma's shift until midnight, so..."

"Urgh." Mal scowls. "Looks like we'll have to go somewhere else for entertainment."

As she and Jay make to walk of, Gil immediately hops beside them. "Can I go with you guys? I don't have anyone else to follow now."

Jay raises an eyebrow at how Mal's eyes gleamed at the thought of having a follower. "I guess we could use one more lapdog. Safety in numbers, after all." She shrugs and says casually, as she examines her nails.

* * *

"So who else was chosen?" Mal asks. Gil, for some reason, seems to know the most about this exchange-student-thing.

"Oh, Evie and Carlos."

Mal snorts. "I thought he hadn't been around lately. Thought that his mom had just kept him working."

"Weren't you at the send off?" Jay asks.

Mal shakes her head. "Mother was murmuring about something or the other to do with EQ and her lack of ambition." She growls, running a hand through her hair. "Imagine all the evil we could do there! All the diabolical schemes! We could've broken down the barrier around the Isle of the Lost!"

"Uh...I heard Uma was going to do something like that with Harry." Gil offers.

Mal rolls her eyes. "Please. The day Shrimpy succeeds is the day I'll eat mom's horns."

Jay snorts at the image.

"Hey, aren't you sad though?" Gil continues, staring at Jay.

"Why would I be?"

"Evie's left. I mean, I thought you guys had that thing going on-"

Gil suddenly finds himself slammed against the wall. Jay's snarl is heartening and slightly more concerning than Harry's hook, and Gil swallows nervously. "Leave it."

Gil nods hurriedly, miming zipping his mouth shut.

Jay lets go and stalks off. Mal shakes her head in amusement as she snatches an apple that a woman was tossing to herself, taking a bite in it and then tossing it back to the woman.

Gil shrugs. Mal and Jay are much like Uma and Harry, now that he thought of it. And he's always liked being their friend. Mostly because of the free food he got, but he supposed Jay could also get some cool stuff. He'd heard how the thief had gotten Carlos some gimmick or the other.

This was going to be awesome!

* * *

Evie waits until Ben is leading them on the tour to ask the prince a question, letting Audrey distract the other three. "Oh, um. Prince Ben."

Ben turns, a friendly smile on his face. "Yeah?"

"Are you, by any chance, going to let more villain kids into Auradon?"

Ben's face brightens. "Well, I hope so. I was-"

"Ben!" Audrey shrieks, scandalised. "Aren't four of them enough?"

Uma scowls. "Isn't one of you too many?"

Ben sighs as he lets Audrey start arguing with Uma. He shoots Evie a kind smile. "Well, I'm hoping. But things are quite difficult at the moment. Maybe sometime after I settle down as King?"

"Oh. And uh, roughly how long will that take?" Evie asks, hoping she doesn't sound too eager.

"A couple of months?" Ben says, sounding like it was a question. "I mean, my coronation is coming up soon."

"Yes!" Audrey says, lured by the word 'coronation'. "Benny-boo here is going to be crowned King of Auradon in a week, after Family day!"

The quartet of villains exchange confused looks. Or in Uma's case, a roll of the eyes. "What's family day?" Carlos finally asks.

"Oh, it's when our parents come to Auradon Prep and see how we're doing." Ben smiles.

"Except our parents." Carlos deduces.

Ben's smile turns sheepish as Audrey gasps in shock. "Yeah...sorry. Getting you guys over here was already a bit of a risk, at least to the council members."

Evie nods and sighs, thinking back to Jay. "Can we bring visitors from the Isle?"

Ben looks surprised but thoughtful. But Audrey steps in, giving Ben a sharp look. "Absolutely not." She snaps. "It's bad enough you're here."

Another argument erupts between Uma and Audrey, and Evie sighs again.

At least it'd be a couple of months before she'd see Jay again. Maybe she could start making outfits and collecting things in preparation.

* * *

Doug is sweet, funny, clearly smitten with her, and...

And not Jay.

Evie sighs as she lies back on her bed. Jay's still firmly entrenched in her heart, but he had seemed so sad when he let her go, almost pleading for her to find a prince to make their breakup worth it.

And if so…

Doug is no prince.

Chad Charming _is_ a prince.

But Doug is the sweet understanding one, while Chad is the arrogant, self-centred prince.

Evie knows from dating a thief, that maybe a prince wasn't the one for her.

But…should she give Chad a chance?

Evie looks down. She had promised - well, not really, but in her heart - to try and find a prince so it's worth it. So leaving Jay and the Isle was worth it.

Therefore, she'd give Chad a chance. And if he didn't work out, she always had Doug she could fall back on. She feels slightly bad that Doug is her backup because of his lack of a title, but it doesn't last long. She left Jay for this.

And…she bites her lip. If this thing with Ben gets nowhere, maybe she can get Chad's influence to get Jay out of the Isle? Better that Jay is out and free in Auradon than imprisoned in the Isle, even if Evie has to marry someone else to do that.

She growls to herself and picks a pillow to bury the sound.

"What in Hades are you moaning on about?" Uma demands, finally fed up. "Can't you see we're trying to plan?" She gestures to Harry and herself.

"Plan what?" Evie asks, sitting up and looking at the scrolls of parchment in interest.

Harry steps forward and blocks her view. "None of your business, sweetheart."

Evie bristles, before a lightbulb goes off in her head. "Are you trying to break the barrier to the Isle of the Lost?"

Uma raises an eyebrow. "Turns out you're not so much of an airhead after all."

"Well, are you?" Evie demands impatiently.

Uma and Harry exchange looks. "And what if we are?"

"I'll help." Evie offers.

"You, lover of all things princess and castles, want to help us take over Auradon?" Uma asks in disbelief.

Harry snorts. "Everyone here knows that you just want to get your little thief boyfriend off that Isle, love."

"And what if I do?" Evie asks. "We have the same goals. Get Auradon. You guys do whatever the hell you want. I just want Jay, and maybe a teeny castle. There are thousands here in Auradon. It's a win-win situation."

Uma considers this. "And what do you have to offer?"

Evie smiles and holds up her magic mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants, 2015.

* * *

 **AN: Hi all, thank you so much for the positive feedback! Unlike what I assume some of you are thinking, I'm not doing a rewrite of Descendants. I'm doing little sections from before and after the movie; what makes them turn 'good' is up to you.**

 **Thank you to ChordOverstreetFan, Kat liu, josephinea and DescendantBrant for reviewing!**

* * *

Mal mutters angrily as she chugs down another beer. Both Jay and Gil are shooting her concerned looks.

"Mal, slow down." Jay says.

"Slow down?!" Mal demands. "Don't tell me to slow down, Jay! Did you see those prissy former VKs," she spits out the word in disgust, "get their places in Auradon? And not even a word to us!"

"M, it's just been a week." Jay tries to soothe. "Maybe they just need time."

"How much time?!" Mal demands. "They've got a hell lot of it now that they've 'chosen good'." She scowls. "Besides, Evie looks comfortably with stumpy over there. Looks like even she's moving on. Better the son of a dwarf of Auradon than a thief in the Isle, huh?" Then she stops, seeming to regret her words.

Jay doesn't let her say anything to apologise. He slams his jug down so hard the table rattles and a crack starts to form. Then he turns and storms out, slamming the swinging doors of the bar behind him.

Gil stares nervously at Mal.

"What are you looking at?" She barks, half at Gil, half at the rest of the bar's patrons. They swallow and quickly look away.

* * *

"Jay." Mal says quietly, almost an apology in itself.

"I get that she's gone, Mal." Jay snarls. "Doesn't mean I want it rubbed in my face." He rolls his neck. "She can go date whoever the hell she wants to date. I can't care less."

Mal stops hesitantly. "Well, she's stupid. If she can't see how great a guy you are." It's a stilted and almost unnatural comment coming from her, but she's trying. And Jay gives a small nod.

Not quite an acceptance, but Mal takes it anyways.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

She gets another barely perceptible nod, then turns and marches away.

* * *

"Hey Ben!" Evie beams. "Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." He smiles distractedly at her, tapping away at his tablet. "Sorry, just give me a sec. I never expected being a King to take up so much time. I'm half tempted to give it back to my dad."

Evie giggles. "I understand."

Ben sends something off, then turns to face her fully. "How can I help you?"

"Remember that conversation we had when the VKs first got here?"

"The one about visitors from the Isle?" Realisation dawns on Ben's eyes.

"Yeah." Evie smiles. "You've been King for several months, and I know you're super busy. But-"

"Ben!" Lumiere appears, dragging at Ben's arm. "We need to go. There's another emergency council meeting-"

"Lumiere, I'm talking to Evie. Can it wait just one second?"

"No. Your father has said your presence is needed immediately." Lumiere announces even as he drags Ben away. "Let's go!"

"Sorry, Evie!" Ben calls out. "We'll talk later?"

Evie nods and waves goodbye, biting her lip.

* * *

"ARGH!" Mal screams as she overturns a table, leaving the remaining patrons in the bar fleeing. "WHY!" She points at the television. "Look at their smug little faces!"

Uma and Harry's faces are plastered there, stopped mid-smile due to the TV freezing up again.

"Aw, they look happy." Gil says. "I hope they're thinking of me."

"Not likely." Jay mutters.

Freddie rolls her eyes. "Seriously, guys. This is a little pathetic." She suddenly backs up as Mal gets in her face, eyes glowing green with rage.

"Care to repeat that, Freddie?"

Freddie hastily shakes her head.

"Good."

"What's your plan then?" CJ asks as she bites into a fish. "Revenge is always the best cure for anger."

Jay raises an eyebrow and looks at Mal, who's face had brightened up at the thought.

"We need to break the barrier if we want to be able to use our magic."

"You mean your magic?" Gil adds unhelpfully.

"Shut it." Mal orders. "There are two ways to do this. One is get the Auradonians to lower the barrier. And we know that will never happen. Two, we get someone here to do it."

"How?" Jay asks. "No one in their right mind is going to come to the Isle. And magic doesn't even work here. It's gotta be from Auradon."

"Not unless they have Fairy Godmother's wand." Freddie points out. "Or an artefact equally powerful. Which doesn't exist, last I checked."

Mal scowls. "There's no way we're getting the wand. Unless..."

"We have someone for blackmail." Jay finishes the thought. He ponders that. "How do we know they'll hand over the wand instead of attacking the Isle?"

"Backtrack." CJ sing-songs. "We need to find someone to get first."

The quartet turns to her, almost as if forgetting she was here.

"You're going to blackmail your own brother?" Mal asks sceptically.

"Hey, we're pirates. We're loyal to our crew. Big bro ditched the ship several months ago when he left for Auradon and forgot us. Dad and Harriet have been wanting to get their hooks into him."

"Okay then." Mal says, drawing out the words.

"Well, the only person influential enough is Prince - sorry, King - Ben." Jay says mockingly.

"And the only ones who know us well enough to know we're serious are the other VKs."

Jay shifts uncomfortably.

Mal notices, but says nothing.

"So we kidnap Ben somehow, lure the VKs over with the promise that if they don't hand over the wand-"

"Flash!" CJ beams as her hook slices through the air.

* * *

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Freddie asks sceptically.

"Of course!" Mal snarls at her, her eyes glowing green. Freddie immediately steps back, holding her hands up in surrender. Magic might not work here very well, but if it came down to it, she was sure Mal would overpower her. Freddie's specialty was in potion-making. Not in combat magic.

"Alright. Just checking."

Mal narrows her eyes and storms off to where Jay is perched on a mast, looking down at Prince Ben.

"Afternoon, Benny-boo." Mal mocks as she struts over to him.

"You're Mal," Ben says, "daughter of Maleficent."

"That's me!" Mal laughs, though her eyes gleam in anger at the absolute lack of fear in his voice. Why wasn't he scared of her? Was Maleficent's name no longer feared? Seen as a joke around Auradon ever since those VKs turned good?! "You don't seem very scared."

"I'm not." Ben says boldly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Ha." Mal snorts. "Always the goody-good prince. Oops." Mal raises a hand to her mouth, almost as if forgetting. " _King_." She rolls her eyes.

"You haven't answered my question."

Dammit the King was bright. Not as stupid as he looked.

"Why should I have to answer to you?" Mal coos. "After all, you're _our_ prisoner."

"I just want to know so I can fix it."

"You can't fix everything, Benny." Mal rolls her eyes. "No matter how prestigious your family."

"What?" Ben asks, blinking. "My family has nothing to do with this."

"Really?" Mal demands, glaring at him. "Your family, the one who cursed us all here and never let us back? Your family, who thought they were such great people?! Who abandoned us all here and thought it was okay for us to get all your leftovers?!"

"Leftovers?" Ben asks, frowning. "Mal-"

"Maybe I want more than leftovers." Mal fumes. " _Maybe_ , I want to make all those royals learn how it's like, surviving on the Isle with criminals! Criminals are too dangerous for Auradon society, but _no_ , they're not too scary for their children!"

"Everyone loves their children." Ben says firmly.

"I don't know what world you were living in, Ben," Mal shakes her head, "but that's not the case here."

Then, as if realising she had gone off-script, Mal straightens and scowls, forcing a small grin of delight onto her face. "But that's all going to change now, isn't it? We'll get Fairy Godmother's wand, and we'll be out of here before you know it. My name will be as revered as my mother's once was."

"We can work together!" Ben says, then winces as he realises he spoke at the wrong time. "I mean, we can still get the VKs over to Auradon."

Mal looks at him, spotting Jay's frown out of the corner of her eye. "Three years too late, Ben."

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this." Uma mutters, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Why are we doing this again?"

Evie glares at her. "Because Ben is our friend, and you know that they were serious."

"Should you be going though?" Harry asks, eyes narrowed. "Jay's going to be there."

Evie barely withholds her flinch. "I haven't thought of him in the time we've been in Auradon. He broke my heart, remember?"

"Not from what I recall." Uma rolls her eyes. "Remember those times you were petitioning FG and Ben to let Isle visitors in?"

"And then that petition to video call them?" Harry adds.

Evie shoots Carlos a look.

Carlos shrugs, holding his hands up. "I've got nothing to add."

"Is that it?" Lonnie pipes up, pointing at the ship.

Uma's eyes widen in outrage. "They took my ship!"

" _Our_ ship." Harry reminds her.

Uma waves him off. "I was captain." Her eyes narrow. "Now it's personal. Let's go." She orders, snapping her fingers and storming onwards, one hand on the hilt of her sword.

* * *

"Mal, please." Evie pleads. "Let him go. I know you're angry, but this isn't the way to go about it. We've been working on getting more VKs over to Auradon."

"I don't believe you." Mal says, her eyes cold as ice. "We've been waiting for years, Evie."

"We've been so busy."

"Doing what?" Mal demands. "You think we've had it easy here?"

"Hey, it hasn't been all sparkly tiaras and happy ever afters for us either, Mal." Uma scowls.

"Stay out of this, Shrimpy." Mal snaps.

Seeing she was not going to get through to her former best friend, Evie turns to Jay instead. "Jay, please."

Jay shakes his head. "We've been waiting years, Eves."

"Besides," Freddie steps up at his quiet tone, placing a hand on his shoulder and enjoying the way Evie's eyes narrowed, "aren't you shacking up with the dwarf?"

"I-" for once, Evie is rendered speechless.

"Thought so." Mal says. "So. Hand over the wand or Benny here gets it."

* * *

"Run!" Evie tugs at Ben's arm. "Let's go!"

Everyone is almost at the tube that will lead them back to the limo.

Two pirates jump out in front of Evie, causing her to shriek in surprise as she readies her weapon. But as she glances around, her heart sinks. Mal and Gil are already clambering to her, and the other Aurodanians and VKs has already made it into the tunnel.

Suddenly, the two pirates move aside to reveal Jay, who's casually swinging his cutlass.

"Jay." Evie whispers. "Please." Her grip on Ben tightens. She's not going to fight him, even if Ben seems ready to lunge at the man.

Jay glances down at her dispassionately for a moment. "I've been waiting a long time, Eves."

"I know." Evie says, nearly in tears. "I've been trying, I promise. But everyone hates the Isle, and it's not been easy."

"It's my fault." Ben says, glaring at the man. "Evie's been petitioning everyone nonstop, but everyone doesn't want to, and I've been so busy I've never put in the time."

Jay stares them down for a moment, and Evie's heart races as she hears Mal's cackle.

Then Jay swings his cutlass.

But not at them.

The first pirate is knocked out while the other is kicked off the bridge into the sea.

"Run." Jay instructs, and he moves aside.

"What?" Mal shrieks in outrage as she sprints towards them.

But Evie and Ben are already running to the tunnel, closely followed by Jay, who expertly deflects anyone who tries to attack them.

"JAY!" Mal roars.

Evie and Ben reach the tunnel.

"Come with us, Jay!" Evie urges, waiting by the edge. "We can go to Auradon."

"I belong here, Eves." Jay shakes his head mournfully. A weak smile appears. "I'll be waiting for that wedding invitation."

And then he kicks aside the bridge, and the wood drops to the floor, splintering into hundreds of pieces. Mal reaches them, shoving Jay aside as her eyes glow emerald green.

But they're in the Isle, and magic doesn't work.

So Evie is tugged away by a reluctant Ben back to the limo, only able to take one last look back as Jay raises a hand in farewell.

* * *

"We had him." Mal mutters as she paces up and down. " _We had him_!"

She had attempted to follow the barrier as it closed, but was too late to follow on the path. Four days past, and she's still fuming with rage.

Freddie and CJ stew silently, glaring at Jay while Gil remains happily oblivious, eating his food with gusto.

"How are we going to get out of the Isle now?!"

"CJ, Gil!" Ursula calls, pointing for them to exit the building.

"What?" CJ asks as she obediently walks to the exit. Gil follows, a bewildered expression on his face.

They don't come back.

* * *

Several hours later, it's been spread that Dizzy Tremaine and several other VKs, CJ and Gil included, had been summoned to Auradon.

* * *

"What about us?" Mal demands.

"Nothing." Jay shrugs. He wraps an arm around her. Despite the brief yet violent period of anger, Mal couldn't stay mad at him for long. After Carlos and Evie left, they had been all each other has had.

With villains becoming tougher at the remaining children on the Isle, Mal and Jay often needed to tend to each other's wounds. And that formed a bond that wouldn't be easy to break. It wasn't romantic by any means, but they were as close as siblings.

Besides, if Jay was still willing to hang out around her after all she's done to him during her rage, then she was grateful to him for it; not that she'd ever tell him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Jay nods. "Besides, I wouldn't go without you."

"Isn't that the line you should be using on Evie?" Mal arches an eyebrow.

Jay chuckles. "Well, I've got to practise them somewhere."

"Thanks." Mal replies dryly. She crosses her arms.

"For what it's worth," she says gruffly a few seconds later, "I wouldn't leave without you either."

* * *

It's less than a month later that Freddie receives her invitation.

And Mal starts to let a little hope into her heart.

That Ben is exactly who he seems to be, and that they'd get off the Isle. But as the invitations increase and Mal and Jay aren't included, Mal glowers at Auradon, and wonders just what is going on.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants, 2015.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to danifan3000 for the review**

* * *

"Doug." Evie gently takes his hands in hers. "You've been the best thing that's ever happened to me, especially here in Auradon. And that's saying a lot." They share a quiet laugh before turning somber again. "But it's not fair to you that this is happening. And it's going to sound cliched, but it's true: it's not you, it's me."

"What am I doing wrong?" Doug demands at first. "Is it someone else? What do they have that I don't?"

Evie sighs and nods slowly. She thinks of everything she loves about Jay, and shakes her head. "I can't describe it to you even if I wanted to."

"Is it this Jay from the Isle?"

Evie nods sadly.

"I don't care." Doug decides. "I don't care. I just want to be with you."

And Evie feels tears in her eyes, because Doug is so kind and so sweet, and she doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve this. "But I can't live with myself if I do this to you." She says quietly. "Doug, you love me so unconditionally, with all of my flaws. I can't ever love you the same way."

"I don't care." Doug repeats, but Evie shakes her head.

"I do." Evie says, and gently pulls away. "You're a good man, Doug. I know that someone will see that one day, and when they do, she'll be the luckiest girl in the world."

* * *

Mal watches dispassionately at the emptier than usual bar. With VKs being sucked out of the Isle faster than expected, the Isle had been unexpectedly quieter. Well, except for the parents ranting on. But other than that, absolutely silent.

Three men in Auradonian uniforms march into the room. "Jay, son of Jafar?" Is the demand.

"What?" Jay demands as he snatches the scroll out of their hands.

Mal hides a smile as she notices the man's watch disappear. Probably other things that she hadn't noticed as well.

"I've been invited to Auradon?" Jay asks, frowning. Mal immediately snaps to attention.

"Yes." The man nods.

"What about Mal?"

There is slight fear as the three men turn to the purple-haired daughter of Maleficent, something that makes the girl smirk in delight.

"Nothing." The first man says, shaking his head.

"And with all due respect," the second one says, eyes hardening just a little as the hand on his weapon tightens, "I highly doubt that she's ever going to get an invitation."

The other two glare at the man, the third one muttering something under his breath about "untrained guards" and "impropriety", but it's lost as Mal glares at them, her eyes briefly flaring green before she storms out the room.

* * *

"You need to start packing soon, huh?" Mal asks without even turning around.

"I probably should." Jay shrugs. "Except that I'm not going."

"What?" Mal demands, whirling around in shock. "You idiot, why not?"

"Well, you're going to need someone to watch your back."

"They're never going to accept me." Mal states. "You probably just blew your only chance of ever getting to see Evie again."

"I know." There is something very sad and dark in Jay's eyes, and Mal feels her heart lurch. Then it's gone and he gives her a tiny smile. "But I promised not to leave without you."

He stands as something occurs to him. "Give me a sec, okay? I'll be back."

Mal nods, trusting, and watches him run down the steps.

* * *

"Do you think I look okay?" Evie fusses with her hair, hoping the tiara was good. "Is this too much? Maybe I should try a different colour."

Dizzy gently pulls her away from the mirror. "Evie, you look perfect."

"Yeah!" Lonnie says exuberantly. "You're going to make his jaw drop."

"I hope so." Evie says nervously. "I mean, it's been years since we properly saw and talked to each other. I want to make a good impression."

"Come on!" Jane says from her position at the window. "I can see the limousine coming in!"

Evie lets out a surprise squeak and immediately rushes out the room, leaving everything she was holding scattering to the ground. The girls in the room giggle at her actions, then follow at a more sedate pace.

* * *

Ben is there, smiling. Uma, Harry, Carlos, Gil, CJ and Freddie are all there, waiting for the latest VKs to show up. Evie's been petitioning Ben for this for so long that he'd finally just put in a special permit to have Jay and Mal delivered right away despite the usual checks that would take forever to get through if they had done it as they did; alphabetically.

The limousine pulls up, and Evie's heart is in her throat as she waits for the door to open.

The driver's door opens, and the guard emerges, looking extremely apologetic. He is holding something in his hands, which he hands over to Evie.

"What is this?" Evie asks with a confused smile.

"Where's Jay?" Gil asks next.

"Uhm." The guard clears his throat. "I'm afraid that he declined his invitation."

Evie freezes. "What?" She asks blankly.

"Why?" Ben asks.

"I think it was because of Maleficent's daughter." The guard says. "He didn't seem to want to leave her alone."

"That's impossible." Ben states. "She had an invitation too."

The other two guards emerge, shooting a confused look with the first. "No, your majesty. We were only give one name and one invitation."

"That can't be." Ben says, shaking his head. He glances at Evie, apology in his eyes. "Evie, I swear. I double and triple checked. Both Mal and Jay were on the list."

"I'm sorry, your majesty." The man repeats. "We were only given Jay, son of Jafar."

"Ben," Uma says slowly, "who did you give those invitations to? Did you directly give it to the men?"

"No...?" Ben says slowly, and it's clear he's reached the same conclusion Uma has. He clenches his fists. "I gave it to Lumiere..."

"Who must've given it to Beast." Uma finishes.

* * *

Evie is sitting outside the room, her hands wrapped around the envelope that she's still not found the heart to open. Compared to the creamy fancy paper in Auradon, this paper is scrappy and filled with stains. But she recognises Jay's handwriting, and that alone makes it worth more than any writing paper Auradon could provide.

Carlos and Uma are huddled by the door, listening to the sounds of father and son roaring at each other.

Belle is to Evie's left, while Lonnie takes the bluenette's right. Both have their arms around the VK, murmuring condolences and reassurances as the shouting continues and only escalates in tone. The others are hovering around the corridor, waiting for Ben to emerge, but also prepared to jump in if Beast went...well, beast on Ben. Not that that'd ever happen, but the VKs have suffered at the hands of their family for far too long to be reassured.

Evie gently fiddles with the envelope. It's a small thing, but there is clearly something else in there that gives the envelope a strange shape.

"Have you opened that?" Belle's motherly voice cuts into her thoughts.

Evie mutely shakes her head.

"Open it." Lonnie urges. She gives her friend a tiny squeeze around the shoulders. "It might cheer you up."

"Ben's not going to win this one." Evie whispers. "Not easily or soon, at least."

Belle's heart lurches at the heartbroken tone of the VK, and shakes her head. "I know my son. He might seem too good to some, but he will do anything for his friends. It won't surprise me if he goes back to the Isle himself to pick up Jay and Mal." She nods firmly. "And I'll even drive the limo if I need to."

Evie gives her a small smile. "Thank you."

* * *

Evie opens the envelope late at night, when Uma is sound asleep on the other bed. Ben had stormed out of the room in a rage, and Beast hadn't emerged from his study all day.

She wonders what is inside, then decides to stop waiting and carefully peels the top off.

There is a tiny slip of paper with the familiar scrawled handwriting, and a bracelet that while maybe not as monetarily valuable as her possessions here in Auradon, immediately captures Evie's heart.

She picks up the leather bracelet, giving a small smile at the tarnished charm looped onto the bracelet that - going from the red - should be an apple.

Her heart swells with love for Jay. At a place like the Isle, rubies like this was rarely - if ever - found. Well, not including some of the gems her mother hoarded for herself.

She immediately puts on the bracelet and looks at the note.

 _Still waiting on that wedding invitation, princess._

Evie giggles to herself, then takes the note and hugs it to herself as she drifts off into sleep.

* * *

"Evie!"

Evie startles awake at the person jumping on her bed, and reaches out on instinct for a weapon she can use.

"Whoa, it's me, Lonnie!"

"I told you not to wake her like that." Uma's sarcastic drawl sounds more awake than Evie feels.

Evie blinks and looks at the suddenly bright room, where the lights are all on despite it being - she squints at the clock - 2:00am in the morning.

"What's going on?" She mumbles.

"Ben got approval!" Lonnie squeals. "Jay and Mal should be on their way here now."

The words take a second to process, but Evie suddenly sits up, accidentally knocking Lonnie onto the floor.

"I need to get ready! Where's my make up?"

Dizzy's tinkling laughter echoes through the room as she holds up a multicoloured bag. "Here!"

"I've got some outfits here!" Jane adds, holding up some of Evie's favourite clothes.

"All this for a guy?" CJ yawns, clearly bewildered from where she had poked her head in upon hearing the commotion next door. "I don't understand Auradonian girls. I'll see you in the morning."

"I'm camping out with you." Uma growls as she drags her pillow and blanket with her and follows CJ out.

* * *

"Okay." Evie nods to herself in the mirror. "Dramatic or subtle? What do you guys think?" She asks behind her, where the other girls are eagerly watching her and oohing and aching over some of her latest creations.

"Subtle!" Dizzy calls out, and she gains hums of approvals from the other girls gathered inside there.

Evie shoots them a blinding smile, then turns back to pick up her eyeshadow.

Only for a soft knock to resound from their door.

"Come in!" Evie calls as she gently dabs at her eyelids.

"Hello, my dears." Fairy Godmother smiles as she pokes her head into the room. "The limousine has arrived."

Evie immediately jumps out of her seat, dropping her makeup as she _sprints_ \- full out athlete- _sprints_ \- out of the room past Fairy Godmother's alarmed cry and then amused chortle.

* * *

When Jay steps out of the limousine, Ben smiles and prepares himself, ready to greet the villain kid any way he might prefer; interactions with the other VKs gave Ben the experience he needed to play likeable diplomat in situations such as this.

But a blur of blue rushes past him and into Jay's arms with a bright squeal.

"Evie!" Jay laughs as he returns the hug whole-heartedly, burying his face in her hair and probably mussing it up.

Evie giggles as she tightens her arms around him, relaxing in the familiar safety and warmth she always associated with Jay. "I miss you." She admits quietly to him. Then she pulls away and slaps him on the chest. "What in Hades' name were you thinking, rejecting the offer?!"

Jay blinks, clearly startled by this sudden change in mood, before Evie hugs him tightly once more. "I'm so glad you're okay. Don't ever do that again."

"Yeah, I'm doing great, thanks for asking. How have you been, Evie? Don't mind me." Mal stands to the corner, watching her best friends - best friend and former best friend? - with no little amusement.

"Mal." Evie's smile is dimmer but no less genuine. "It's…great to see you."

Mal's smile melts into something more genuine as well. "You too, E. We…have a lot to talk about."

Evie nods, recognising her friend's attempt to make up for what she did. She wastes no time in hugging her best friend briefly, and then turns back to Jay to hug him once more.

Mal walks past the happy reunited couple to Ben and sticks out her hand.

Ben blinks at it, and then takes it, giving her a firm handshake. "It's nice to see you again, Mal."

"You too." Mal shrugs. "I'm sorry for kidnapping you and all. It's nice to see a politician who finally keeps his word."

Ben has his mother's empathy, and that is why he sees the uncomfortableness in Mal's eyes and the genuineness under her apparently sarcastic drawl. His smile warms. "I think I should thank you for that. Without you, I wouldn't have had the power or support to continue the VK integration program."

"Fancy name." Mal notes, relaxing slightly in his friendliness. Her eyes narrow as she notices the other Auradon girls peeking at them excitedly.

"Mal!" Dizzy zips past them and hugs the purple-haired beauty. "It's so good to see you again!"

Mal ruffles her affectionately on the head. "You too, Dizzy."

Dizzy beams up at her.

Meanwhile, Evie notices Doug standing to the corner, looking around uncomfortably. She relaxes her grip slightly and shoots him an apologetic look.

Doug takes a deep breath, but manages a genuine smile that almost brings tears to Evie's eyes as she gives a a shaky smile back.

"You're wearing it." Jay says, hand gently encircling her wrist.

Evie beams up at him. "It's my favourite accessory." She lifts it up in a mock pose. "I think that it goes well with all my outfits. Clearly, my good style has rubbed off on you."

Jay laughs. "If anyone can pull it off, it's you."

And his laugh brings out something in Evie that makes her shine, and she practically glows under his attention. And it doesn't matter that her makeup is only half-completed - something that she'll be mortified about later, all that matters is Jay is _here_. On Auradon with her, like she had promised in the very beginning. And there will be problems in the future with those against the VK-transfer-program, who will scowl and shout and demand another King - maybe even King Beast once more.

But for now, Evie closes her eyes, inhales, and lets herself relax in Jay's warm embrace.


End file.
